Per Wesley Hermann, Park Interpreter, Garden of the Gods: All closures are lifted including Tower of Babel

Update as of 8/10/14:

Closures in Garden of the Gods Park for raptor nesting sites have been lifted. This includes the East face of North Gateway, the East Ledges on North Gateway, and the East face of Grey (Kindergarten) Rock. Closures for Migratory Birds are still in effect - this includes the Tower of Babel. We expect this closure to last in to early Fall. Please refer to the map attached. If you have questions, please stop by the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center.

Climbing closures for Tower of Babel.

Prior closures (pre 8/10/14): There are currently two closures in effect, both on North Gateway Rock. The first closures is for the Eastern Face (including the East ledges), which will include routes like Max's Mayhem, Snuggles/Fall Crack, etc. The second closure is for the Tower of Babel on the North end of Gateway Rock, and includes Anaconda, Ryan's Inferno, The Inferno, and Triple Exposure. The routes listed above are for reference, but may not represent all routes affected, and closures may be subject to change. We've provided a map of North gateway showing these closures.

North Gateway Closures- East Face and Tower of Babel.

North Gateway Closures- East Face and Tower of Babel.

North Gateway Closures- East Face and Tower of Babel.

Submitted By: GardenoftheGodsStaff on Mar 5, 2014

Addendum: March 29 - Based on new reports of nesting behavior and of raptors exhibiting signs of stress/defending their nesting sites, we are updating our closures to include Big Sky and Sand in the Vaseline (aka The Route to the Left) on the East face of Grey Rock (aka Kindergarten Rock). Other routes on the East face near the South Summit such as New Era will remain open, but we ask that climbers approach these routes from the South, and avoid the North end/approach of the East Face while the closure is in effect.

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Description

This route is located on the east side of South Gateway Rock on the Drug Wall. The fastest way to get there is to park at the main parking area on the north side of the loop. Mighty Thor will be on the left side of the cement path just before you get to the Twin Spires formation. The route follows the seam to the left of the blocky roofs that make up Crescent Corner.

The climb follows the seam for a ways then moves to the face with a reaching crux move.

As I remember it the first couple bolts are a lot of fun and require a good bit of balance as you smear up the seam. The climb gets its rating fromt he crux moves at the white headwall above the seam. It it easier the taller you are but there are good spots to rest in before and after the crux that helped me a lot. From the bolt above the crux traverse up and left to get to the anchors. The traverse presents a minor penduluming danger but thankfully has fairly good footing to the ledge with the anchors.

Some key beta for this one: First of all, Mighty Thor takes every inch of a 60m rope to TR. 2 - For some reason, I seem to remember that you need 14 quicks/slings to lead it, although I've only TR'ed it, so I'm not sure. 3 - If you're 8' tall, you should be all over this route. That crux move is an off-balance, reachy son of a...

I think I counted you using thirteen draws on this route, Darin. It definitely behooves the leader to NOT clean the last three draws or so of this route, as a fall at the crux implicates a pretty good-sized pendulum (translation: the second would have a devil of a time getting back on route).

The crux move is in the middle of a fantastic sequence, when the main headwall begins to loom menacingly over the intrepid climber. You're gonna explore the limits of Stealth rubber on this one!

Explore them I did as I took a pretty major whipper whilst attempting to clip the second bolt. It actually wasn't the stealth, however, instead my flight having its beginnings in the left hand that popped off of a pinch. A bad fall it was, too, for as I put my hand out in front of me the rope found itself wedged between it and the rock and glided along my palm giving me an unforgetable burn. Ouch! This route is amazing and tricky. I also love that old Garden drilled angle for pro thing. You'd think people would wise up and stop climbing in the Garden, eh? Not bloody likely!

The scariest part about this climb is the heinous american triangle for the anchors. I say that whoever wants to climb it cut off the frayed cable and bring a couple pieces of webbing with them and rig the anchors correctly. The frayed cable is destroying the piece of webbing on there and would destroy any other webbing someone might put on it too.

Cable anchors are in bad shape; one of the cable threads has snapped, and the remaining two or three aren't far behind. Also, the cable is placed in the "triangle of death" fashion. I left a short blue 1" sling equalized through 2 of the 3 pins, that being all I had at the time. Be cafeful....

Noticed about 4 of the pins were bent. I'm 6'2 and had enough wingspan to reach the bucket semi gracefully. I feel sorry for shorter climbers on this one. The cable anchor has been backed up by webbing and is safe.

Mighty Thor has new anchors! Stewart Green and Brian Shelton replaced the old pitons (including some stamped 1952) with three 5-inch-long stainless steel sleeve bolts with stainless steel descending rings. Many thanks to Climbing Magazine and Petzl for donating the new anchors. The old ones were definitely a hazard with a frayed cable and brittle webbing.

I hate to say it but I busted a hold off the start of Mighty Thor. Somewhere around the 25 ft mark there is now a gaping flat spot where a beautiful blocky chunk used to be. It was a great hold for your left hand, but when I got my foot up on it it busted, depositing me into the arms of my belayer.

Loved the route, I took my very first lead fall here. Once you pass the crux you have a beautiful, sidewalk-sized ledge to roll on to but with fiew handholds to get there.... The bomer took me 25-30 feet past the crux with a single four letter word echoing down to the Sunday morning tourists "I apologize". I do not recomend top roping Thor, the rope pulls you off to the right and away from the holds.

Cool climb! Harder for shorter people for sure. I'm 5'8" and it involved some trickery to get to the jug, while my partner who was a little above 6' cruised it. Forget the cams. there are plenty of bolts. Too many perhaps.